Stay Stronger
by FanWriter02
Summary: Dawn of Destruction What-If. Hiccup and Toothless dive to destroy the importance of his hut, but what if a net was lying in wait? Taken down and captured, with Toothless helpless in the woods, Hiccup is beginning to believe that Krogan might be his end. But the others aren't about to let their friend be taken without a fight. Hiccup!whump. Hiccstrid. [SEASON 5 SPOILERS]
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys!**

 **So, as tradition so calls, I must do a new RTTE season what-if. Here it is, full chapter, where I only need to write 2k words a chapter (Thank the Lord, it's been way too long!) Dawn of Destruction AU, because I'm a whump monster and I need it to survive wahahaha. As… far as I have planned, this'll be a three parter. But who knows? If you guys likey, I might make it longer, hehe. ^-^**

 **This is a combined birthday present to my friends** **thepurplewriter333** **, and** **animalsarepeopletoo** **, since your guy's birthdays are within a month of each other's, I figured I'd make a multichapter for the both of you, rather than just a one-shot or drabble for each of you. Hope you enjoy this! Lots of love guys! :3**

 **And the beginning, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1.**

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, flying up alongside him. Her eyes were wide, her posture hunched and axe at the ready. "They're too strong!"

He whipped his head back round when an arrow whizzed by, neatly catching his ear. With a cry of surprise, as well as pain, he clamped a hand over his gushing ear, knowing that what Astrid said was true.

"Hiccup!?"

"Y-yeah! We need to regroup!" He called over, spinning Toothless around to give the signal to the others. "Go! That fog, disappear, the Singetails will be too spooked- they won't be able to follow."

Astrid leaned forward a bit more, and girl and dragon promptly took off at high speeds, zipping into the fog where they were no longer seen.

"Guys!" Hiccup shouted, zigzagging between fire and arrows to try and reach his friends. He found the twins first, who were mildly disappointed about a retreat.

"This is the best fun we've had in years Hiccup! You can't take this away!" Ruffnut howled moanfully, but obeyed his rules as they too flew out of sight.

"Outlout!" Snotlout shouted, eagerly taking after.

"Hiccup… the Edge…" Fishlegs whispered, both turning to stare at the place they'd called home for so many months, overrun by enemies, smoke, and hostile dragons. With a gulp, Hiccup nodded silently, making a mental promise to return and reclaim their base. He wasn't going to let it go easily.

"Go after the others- go to the Defenders." Hiccup instructed strictly, in a tone that meant they were to obey without protest.

Fishlegs blinked in confusion, as well as slight alarm. "What!? Why are you telling me-"

"I'll catch up!" Hiccup called, and with those words Toothless dove towards the Edge, leaving Fishlegs in bewilderment.

They dodged and ducked shots and nets, arrows flying dangerously close. But after several plasma blasts that only damaged the Edge even more, hurting Hiccup's heart, they made it into sight of his own hut.

"Toothless…" He whispered lowly, leaning close to the dragon's ears. "Now, Bud!"

Toothless opened his mouth, and with an echoing shriek emanated a large blast, instantly causing Hiccup's hut to explode into flames and flying metal, effectively rendering it useless.

Toothless spun around in a twirl, trying to make a shot towards the sky. But in that one moment of wings folded inwards, close to his body, it left them defenseless.

Hiccup didn't see the net until it was too late.

"Toothless!" He screamed, as one of the bola's wrapped themselves about him and one of Toothless's wings, one of the heavy weights crashing into Hiccup's scull, momentarily shocking him. Toothless shrieked and thrashed, and suddenly Hiccup found himself trapped in the net alone, with Toothless falling fast to the waters below.

"No!" He screamed in terror, as he himself fell through the dark sky. He prepared himself for the harsh landing, and even though landing in the edge of the bay was unexpected, it didn't hurt less. The water slapped against him, cold and unforgiving, but gave Hiccup a few moments chance to struggle against the ropes.

He surfaced as the ropes tightened, and he realized with panic that they were pulling him to shore. He struggled harder, trying desperately to reach for his knife. His fingers barely grazed the handle's tip, frustrating him to no end. So close, yet not close enough.

He looked about frantically, wondering where Toothless had gotten to. Men were shouting and Singetails were skimming across the tops of the water, seemingly searching. Good. That meant Toothless was still out of harm's way- or he hoped. He hadn't fallen too far away from the shore, he should've been able to swim. Unless… unless he was injured.

"Toothless!" He called again, drawing in a deep breath to let out a Night Fury shriek, praying for a returned signal.

The ropes holding him slackened momentarily at the noise, they were probably surprised by his ability to mimic a dragon- most were. But he didn't care, and he took this second to his advantage, tugging as hard as he could in the water with only one leg.

"Bring him in! Bring him in!"

 _Krogan._

Hiccup grit his teeth and pulled harder, but it was no use. Looking behind him he saw that three men were tugging on the ropes, this was a losing battle on his end. With a gulp Hiccup momentarily fell back under, bouncing back up when his feet found bottom.

It was then that his call was returned, as a faraway shriek echoed, making it almost impossible to pinpoint exactly where the sound was coming from. Men shouted, dragons screeched in pain, but Hiccup's consciousness was fading.

The bola against his head pitched into him, the fifty-pound weight effectively knocking against his skull. Hiccup fell beneath the waves once more, trying to keep his wits about him. He had a sneaking suspicion he'd need them.

 _Duh, you're kidnapped. Stay alert you idiot._

Arms pulled him out of the waters, forcing him to stand upright as he peered dazedly out of the tangled ropes wrapped about him, somehow finding the strength to glare at the tall bronzed man before him.

"Hm, so you're the famed Dragon Trainer I've so heard of? And Viggo was quite interested in, well…" Krogan laughed deeply, his voice sending chills down Hiccup's spine.

He bit his lip to keep from snarking back, having learned from the past that sarcasm wasn't always the best way to go. So after a moment of getting himself under control, he took a deep shuddering breathe.

"And you're Krogan. Kidnapping me didn't work before, so what makes you think it'll work now?" Hiccup hissed, trying to lunge forward but the arms holding him held fast, so as he only leaned forward ever so slightly. He was trying to be… somewhat intimidating. Or as intimidating as a soaking wet scrawny teen could be.

"Viggo wanted you alive." Krogan's voice deepened and lowered even more- if that was possible. Any deeper and it would sound like chalk against stone. "If I'd had my way, you'd be long dead."

Hiccup snorted, rolling his eyes as his sassiness took over. It was his fallback, the thing he depended on as a defense mechanism- though it did usually get him further in trouble, it did anger and annoy his advisory. "You want to kill me, big whoop. Give me something that makes you different from any of my other past enemies, Krogan."

The fist was unexpected, so it wasn't as much as the pain that silenced Hiccup, as much as it was the shock. His head snapped back as he let out a low quiet moan, hoping no one heard. But of course, they did, for the men holding him chuckled as though finding it amusing.

"That was Viggo's problem as well." Krogan said calmly, and even though Hiccup had closed his eyes as he waited for his senses to return, he could hear Krogan as he paced and circled slowly around him. "He was all words. No action. No violence, no killing. Why do you think he failed, hm?"

"…because… he's an… enemy… dragons- they always best." Hiccup rasped, gazing woozily at Krogan's expressionless face. "he fell… you will too…" He meant the last part as a threat, but his gaspy and wheezy voice made it sound like a taunt. Great, his snarkiness was becoming known without his recognition. Great job, Hiccup, great job.

He was prepared for the blow this time, ducking just in time for the fist to clip the side of his head. The ropes still pressed against him burned against the side of his face, especially when the rough twine rubbed against his slashed ear. He panted weakly, so many blows to the head beginning to take its toll. The bola had been enough to nearly send him unconscious, but Krogan invoking that blow even more was beginning to make him feel drowsily unaware of his surroundings.

"I am not weak like Viggo. He was brains, Ryker was brawn. I am both." Krogan's voice raised in volume, sending Hiccup's ears ringing. "Take him away! And find that Night Fury! He cannot fly without this brat's help, so he is trapped on this island. I want him found!"

"Sir-" One of the men holding Hiccup asked. "Where to? There isn't a dungeon here-"

"Of course not… weaklings. What kind of Vikings are you." Krogan's words were more than obviously directed towards Hiccup, but he chose not to reply. He was proud they didn't need a dungeon, but saying so would only bring him another blow, a blow that would surely make him lose consciousness.

"The stables. Take a chain and tie him to the post- be sure to have a guard on him at all times. I'll give orders once that Night Fury is found." Krogan cast one last glare in Hiccup's direction, before he spun around and stomped towards a platform ladder, calling for his dragon.

The ropes from the net were tugged off of him, freeing Hiccup from their rough grasp. He heaved for air, not realizing before how heavy the weights had been. He felt like he could actually breathe normally again without straining to do so.

He fell in and out of consciousness as he was dragged up the ramps and past huts he knew all too well. He stared weakly at Astrid's, hoping that no evil bastards decided to go rampaging through her things. His betrothal gift to her was probably still in there- Thor he hoped they'd leave that hut alone. Yet he had a feeling they wouldn't, Astrid's hut had the most weapons and defense mechanisms on the Edge.

The stables were changed horribly already. Chains instead of ropes and saddles dangled from the hooks, and a few dragons that were stabled there were moaning and tugging at their bonds. It made Hiccup tear up just to look and listen to them.

The two ex-dragon hunters left Hiccup in the smallest of the stables-turned-cages, the one that had once been for the Terrors. Hiccup's right foot was wrapped twice in a tight chain that had about three feet's length to a pole, barely allowing Hiccup to shift positions.

He sat up and stared out of his prison, watching as men shuffled by with more and more dragons, until the light from the fires outside began to dim, and the stables was left darkened. Hiccup swallowed thickly, praying with all his might that Toothless was safe. With that, he let his head fall back against a pillar, wondering how this venture would end.

…

"He said he'd follow, Astrid. Let's go already! This fog is freezing…" Snotlout whined, rubbing his hands against his arms. Hookfang huffed in agreement, promptly alighting himself on fire. Snotlout sighed in contentment, leaning back against Hookfang's horns.

"We're not leaving until Hiccup gets here- and that's final." She snapped, looking to Snotlout with a gaze that threatened him to try and protest again. Fishlegs rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and her gaze softened as she looked back to the sky.

"It's been too long." She whispered. "He should've been back by now."

"We don't know exactly what it is he was doing… so maybe…" Fishlegs shrugged in exasperation, turning back around to give Meatlug a sad pat on the head. "He's coming, Astrid. He's Hiccup! He never lets us down."

Astrid swallowed, and nodded so slightly as her hand went to rest against her collarbone, where under her shirt rested the pendant Hiccup had given her not two months ago. "I know…" she whispered softly.

"If we're just going to sit here." Tuffnut said nonchalantly. "Could we go back and kick some more butt? We only got to do four- unlike _Hiccup_ , who has a Night Fury with the abilities to shoot just one blast to take a man out, geez."

"Hog." Ruffnut muttered in agreement.

"No, guys. We can't. Hiccup's orders were to retreat to the Defenders- and we've already broken one of those two things." Fishlegs stated firmly.

"But what if something happened?" Astrid repeated for the utmost time, fisting her hands against her shirt. "We can't just leave…"

"You don't, but we can. Betrothal's duty, I suppose." Snotlout laughed, sitting up and moving to properly sit in the saddle. "And besides, Hiccup has never had a problem with finding a way out of his own messes before, so let's just get moving, hm? I'd like to stay alive, and we've been sitting her just long enough to give those Flyers time to find us."

"Snotlout, I do agree with Astrid. I think we should just wait here until he exits the fog." Fishlegs added.

"Ugh, why are you guys so boring!" Ruffnut whined, flopping back on the rocky floor of the sea stack. "Why don't we at least go back and peak our heads out of the fog to see what's up?"

Astrid jerked her hand down abruptly, startling the others as she flung herself back up onto Stormfly's back. "I don't care what you guys do- go to the Defenders or stay here, but I'm going back for Hiccup. We cannot just leave him defenseless, that's not how we work."

"You said 'we'." Snotlout grumbled. "Fine, we're coming! Rescuing Hiccup's butt again, yay…"

"If he needs rescuing or not, we're at least going to help him." Astrid called, and without a glance behind she and Stormfly jumped into the air, flapping quickly towards the quickly denigrating fog. The sun would be up soon, and with it, their cover would be gone.

"Make this quick." Fishlegs huffed. "Why can't we ever just listen?" With that, they hastened to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Man oh man, it feels good to be back, guys. :D So happy to be writing canon-verse again!**

 **Thanks for all the follows and faves, as well as the reviews. You guys are awesome. :)**

 **Also… uh, guess what I did? I went and sorta did a layout of this fic, and turns out I added it all up to five-six chapters-** _ **oops**_ **. So, yeah, this is gonna be longer then I thought lol.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2.**

Hiccup woke with a jolt, reflexively jerking away from the wall and forcing himself to the ground. He moaned and rolled over, his head pounding as a hammer would an anvil, his sight wavering as he stared up at the ceiling.

He moved his leg, groaning at the sound of the chains jingling. He'd forgotten…

"Crap…" He muttered, rolling over to peer up at the door. The guard there turned and gave him a dirty look, mumbling something as he walked out of sight behind a wall.

"Thor, I wonder if Toothless…" Hiccup looked past the bars holding him, eyes hastily glancing over all the stalls across the stables, relieved when he saw no signs of a black Night Fury. He could only hope he was still out there, free and able to find cover. Maybe even help, because knowing the gang, they hadn't listened to him _(again)_ and had circled back. He just hoped they were smart enough to stay out of sight.

The door cranked open, forcing Hiccup to open his eyes and stare in alarm at the Flier entering. The man jerked him up by his arm, Hiccup's head spinning like a top as his vision blurred. The sound of chains clanking together, then the weight around his ankle fell away, informing him he was freed- to an extant.

"Wh-where we goin'?" Hiccup mumbled, his tongue feeling like water soaked cotton. "

"Krogan's ready to see you." The man replied simply, tugging him towards the open door. Hiccup blinked against the harsh sunlight, coughing weekly as it worsened his headache. He was fairly convinced he had a concussion, brilliant. Which meant that he'd also be nauseous sometime soon… oh joy.

He was led out onto the platform, allowing Hiccup to see what time it was, as well as what they'd done to their base. It looked to be mid morning, the sun still just hovering above the horizon with pink and brightly colored clouds blending around it.

Hiccup then looked up at his hut, charred black and loosing boards as he walked past. Men were scrounging about inside, which Hiccup could tell was nothing but mere powder. At least his whole capture wasn't wasted, they'd succeeded in covering the important things that were much too valuable for those scum to find.

He stared at Astrid's hut with a pang of hurt, noticing how men were spilling in and out of it. His blood boiled when he sighted a man holding up things that looked to resemble woman's necessities, the men about laughing and clapping each other on the back. Hiccup had to grind his teeth to keep from letting profanity spill. He didn't use it often, didn't even think of it, but when those _men_ , were digging through _Astrid's_ belongings… he wanted to say things he'd only heard before.

He hadn't realized he's slowed his steps until the guard grabbed the back of his head and shoved him forward, nearly causing him to fall. With a scowl he continued on, foot clicking and brain grinding with every noise that erupted.

To his surprise, they came to a halt outside of Snotlout's hut. With a quirk of his eyebrow, Hiccup looked about, noticing the abundant amount of weapons and dragon tools- ones that he couldn't help but wince at on sight. Such things as whips, cudgels, ugly bits and jagged snout bands- they looked like torture devices. How could they use such things on innocent dragons?

It made Hiccup hate the man past the door even more.

The Flier led Hiccup inside the dimly lit room, and instantly he noticed how things such as furniture had been rearranged and replaced. There was now a large desk in the middle of the room, as well as a large luscious bed in a corner. Krogan was standing behind the desk, bent over it as he stared at papers strewed across the top.

"Tie him to the chair." Krogan said calmly. The guard dragged Hiccup to a chair from across the room and shoved him into it, hastily tying tight chains around him, clamping the lock shut with a jingle. Hiccup closed his eyes, the sounds and quick movements overwhelming him.

He heard steps, heavy and deliberate. He knew it was Krogan.

He opened his eyes, staring tiredly up at the man, wishing he'd just get to the point so he could go lie down and slowly die from the pain his head was causing.

"What is it now, Krogan?" Hiccup muttered, silently cursing himself for how tired he sounded. He had wanted to sound intimidating, defiant… yet he sounded nonchalant and utterly exhausted.

"That Night Fury has not been found, and I _need him found_." Krogan said in that always-steady tone, but his eyes were dark and narrowed, betraying his anger. "Where is he?"

 _Thank Thor, Toothless is safe_ … Hiccup's scrambled thoughts pieced. The question was an echo to him, one that he couldn't fully register. His brain was moving at snails pace, everything coming in thirty seconds late.

Krogan's hand to his throat was shocking, and Hiccup's eyes jammed shut in surprise. He struggled weakly, movements drugged and brain faltering.

"I asked, where. Is. The. _Night Fury_." Krogan hissed, fingers tightening. Hiccup heaved and gasped, blackness staticking and ears ringing.

The pressure left abruptly, leaving him shocked and disoriented. He moaned and blinked uncertainly, staring up into Krogan's face for explanation.

"Wh… I dunno…" Hiccup rasped weakly, hating himself for being weak, but not really caring either. "He… he could be any-anywhere…"

"I highly doubt that." Krogan said coolly. "He's near, I know enough to know that he isn't going to leave you for long, or very far."

"Toothless is smart…" Hiccup hissed, leaning forward as far as his bonds would allow. "He'll not be captured easily, if at all. He can fly short distances, he could be long gone by now for all I know."

"But _I_ know." Krogan whispered lowly, stepping closer until they were eye level. " _I know_ … you and your dragon are close, are you not? He will be back. He will not leave. He's staying for you."

Hiccup glared, the words ringing truth. He knew it, Krogan knew it, what was the use of hiding the obvious?

"And your friends…" Krogan leaned back, smirking ruefully. "They'll be back, won't they?"

Hiccup stared, trying not to let emotions betray him. Of course they'd return, Astrid wouldn't let them leave without him. They'd be back…

Krogan smiled smugly, making Hiccup realize his thoughts must've been betrayed on his face.

"You won't win." Hiccup growled.

Krogan just laughed, sending shivers of fear running down Hiccup's spine. The man stood straight and walked back to the desk, hands running along the grain until he grasped a piece of parchment, holding it up for Hiccup to see.

"Here, and here." He pointed to two x marks on the map, a map that Hiccup himself had created of the Edge's island. That thief stole his map.

"Places the Night Fury was spotted last night, but that lizard has a way of… disappearing." Krogan slammed the paper back down, turning abruptly to make way to Hiccup once again. "I need to know his hiding places. And _you_ are going to tell me."

"Why not just wait?" Hiccup asked hoarsely, preparing himself for some infliction of pain. It came quickly, the thick fist landing against his ribs like a mace, effectively tearing the air from his lungs.

"It'll be easier the less you fight." Krogan's voice was calm. Too calm. It was intimidating.

"I-I-I won't… never…" Hiccup gasped in reply, head hanging back against the rest of the chair, eyes shut and chest heaving for air.

"You will."

Those two words were enough to make Hiccup's heart clench in fear, but hardened his resolve. He wasn't going to give in. He wasn't going to be weak on this too, there was no way he'd ever give any hints or suggestions to where Toothless could be hiding. He'd protect that dragon till his dying breath, and no evil man named Krogan could change that fact.

It was carved in stone.

"You can… you can try…" _finally, my voice is under control… somewhat._ Still nasally, but that was normal. At least it wasn't shaking like a leaf anymore…

He didn't know what to expect in response, but what he received chilled him to the bone, bells ringing in his head from the panic.

Krogan leaned forward slowly, tone dropping to a calm whisper. "I will."

…

"Where are they?" Astrid whispered in confusion, eyes scanning across the Edge from her hiding place among the brush. She turned to Ruff and Fishlegs who sat on either side of her, both just as confused as she.

"Not in the sky, not on the ground… maybe they headed back to the Defenders, and we missed them?" Fishlegs whispered in implication, giving a shrug.

"Or… or something did happen…" Tuffnut whispered dramatically, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up, twig." Snotlout hissed, shoving Tuffnut to the ground. "Astrid's worried enough at is without you making it worse."

Astrid blinked in surprise, but shook it off quickly a she refocused her attention back on the Edge, using one of Hiccup's scopes to see clearer. "It's morning, and all we've seen are dragons flying in and out of the base- I think they're searching for something."

"Hiccup and Toothless!" Fishlegs exclaimed excitedly.

"Exactly." Astrid lowered the spy glass, narrowing her eyes as she watched more men began to spill out of various huts, all except for Hiccup's which was mysteriously burnt to the ground.

"What happened to Hiccup's hut?" She murmured, looking again through the glass. "It's… gone. Completely."

"I have a feeling that's what he returned to do." Fishlegs said thoughtfully. "He had that secret project, remember? Maybe he didn't want the Fliers to find it…"

Astrid nodded absently, giving a harsh shush to the twins as they began gabbing about something totally useless. They shut up instantly, turning back around to stare intriguingly at the commotion as the base came to full life.

Astrid fixed her glass on Snotlout's hut, hissing when she noticed the leader- _"Krogan" she'd gathered_ \- exit. He paused by the door, seemingly giving orders to the guard standing there. The man rushed off to do as told, and Krogan did a quick scan before turning back around and reentering the hut.

"That scum…" She growled lowly.

"He's in my hut!?" Snotlout whispered loudly in a panic. "No- not my hut. He's probably gone through all my things- all my belongings… no, this can't be true!" He collapsed on the ground, sitting with his head in his hands as he "supposedly" sobbed.

"There, there, little Snotlout. I'm sure Snuggles is alright." Tuffnut comforted nonchalantly.

"Hey! Do not insult Snuggles- how would you feel if I did that to you about Chicken?" Snotlout shot back.

Tuffnut sniffed, nose in the air. "Chicken is a dignified fowl, do not insult the Chicken."

Astrid rolled her eyes, giving another quick glance over the huts, freezing when her eyes landed on the stables.

"Thor- Fishlegs-" She gasped, shoving the spyglass in his hands and pointing frantically. " _Fishlegs!"_ her voice rose to a loud whisper, her panic taking hold as she frantically tried to get the teen to look.

He squeaked and nearly dropped the glass in his hasten to look, but finally it was to his eyes. He let out a squeal of alarm, while Astrid's breathing quickened.

"Hiccup- that's Hiccup?"

Astrid took the glass again, pressing it to her face as she followed the thin shape across the platforms. She nodded weakly, flexing the lens so she could see clearer and closer.

Hiccup stumbled, and the man leading him along roughly grabbed the back of his head, forcing him to continue on at a faster pace. Hiccup looked disoriented and dazed, making Astrid suspicious as to whether he was injured. Perhaps a hit to the head…

Anger pulsed in her veins at Hiccup's obvious discomfort- drat those evil- how she wished she could march right up there and strangle the man forcing Hiccup to move when he obviously should _not_ be…

She spotted the dried blood crusted under his hair and along the side of her face, revealing what she'd suspected to be true. He'd taken a blow to the head, and was probably suffering a slight concussion.

"That's just- oh, Hiccup, hang on, we're coming…" She whispered, forcing herself to lower the glass to turn to the others, who by now had caught onto what the fuss was all about.

"So, H is a prisoner… where's T?" Tuffnut whispered, eyes scanning. "I haven't seen or heard him- don't you think we would've?"

"He could be under Dragon Root." Fishlegs pointed out.

"The dragon Fliers that keep flying in and out, maybe they're looking…" Ruffnut whispered.

"Or they're looking for us. Krogan's not an idiot, he probably figured we'd be back for Hiccup and Toothless." Astrid whispered in reply. "Ugh, what a mess…"

"We need a plan." Snotlout said helpfully. "Something to get us out of here as fast as we can. If those Fliers are looking for us, they'll probably find the dragons before long."

"That tunnel is hidden, it'll take them awhile…" Astrid said in return, lowering the glass when Hiccup disappeared inside Snotlout's hut. It made her worry rise, concerned by the fact that he was now in the same room with _Krogan_ …

"Okay, let's head back to the dragons, and figure something out." She murmured, lowering to the ground so she could crawl without behind seen. "Stay quiet and low…"

"What about Hiccup?" Fishlegs whispered. "Who knows what they could do… or are doing…"

Astrid gnawed her lip, hating herself for the answer she'd give. But she knew there wasn't any other way. She had no other choice but to leave.

 _But she'd come back, no doubt. She wasn't going anywhere without him._

"He'll have to hold out for a few more hours." She whispered hoarsely, fighting emotions. "We'll have him out of there before sunset, with or without a plan."


	3. Chapter 3

**Goodness, thanks guys for all the sweet reviews! :)**

 **But I do miss my old reviewers… you guys all okay? Hiccstridlover13, Nightfurylover1112, SweetWritingIsMyLife, SailorMew4, PWKWolf, and many others… how you guys all doing? Hope all is well. *hug***

 **Anywho, moving on to the fic. Enjoy this chapter! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 3.**

"Plan- we need a plan- and a good one…" Astrid repeated, pacing back and forth along the dirt wall with her head resting on her fingers, arm crossed. "Okay… think, Astrid, _THINK_."

"I think this is why we let Hiccup do the thinking..." Snotlout whispered to Tuffnut, who nodded in agreement.

"Pacing always helps him to think! Why doesn't it work for me?" Astrid said regretfully, falling back against the wall with a grunt. She sat for a moment, elbows resting on her knees as she stared at the floor in grief. "I just… I don't know what to do…" She buried her face against her arms, letting out a deep shuddering sigh.

"Astrid, we need to think outside the box." Fishlegs tried gently. "Maybe… we could attack from underground?"

"And how would we do that, Fishy? Just wrangle a Whispering Death?" Snotlout asked sarcastically, crossing his arms as he rolled his eyes.

"I don't know! There's got to be someway…"

"Well, one thing's for sure. Those Fliers know what they're doing, so we cannot attack from the sky, we'd be beat right away. We have to find a way to… distract…" Astrid lifted her head, eyes bright and a smile beginning to spread across her face. "Ah, yes! I know- why didn't I think of that earlier?" She jumped to her feet and rushed across the tunnel, yanking out a wrinkled piece of parchment from Stormfly's saddlebags. She huffed in annoyance and tossed the paper aside, instead bending down to grab a stick as she began to scratch out a rough outline of the Edge in the dirt.

"Okay, pay attention." She said informatively. "We need a distraction- something to draw the Fliers away from the base. So here, one of us- more specifically _I_ \- will sneak into the base and find Hiccup, okay? The rest of you-" She drew a four circles out above the bay. "You four will be attacking and dodging and doing all you can to stay alive but useful." She dropped the stick and stepped back in victory. "Boom, plan!"

Everyone stared in silence at her little map, until Ruffnut looked up slowly, eyes wide. "Wow." She said in shock. "I'm…" She grinned and fist pumped, "I like it! Danger, explosion- do we hgave full permission to destroy the Edge? Has the day finally come!?"

Astrid sighed, "Minimal damage, Ruff."

"Damage? Hear that Barf, Belch?" Tuffnut called gleefully.

Fishlegs tapped the stables, looking up inquisitively, "What about Toothless?"

Astrid frowned and rubbed her jaw, uncertain. "I'll try and find him first- but I don't know… I do know Hiccup won't leave without him, so I suppose we'll have to scour the Edge before we retreat. Try and hold off the Fliers as long as possible."

"I don't like this plan." Snotlout mumbled with a dark frown. "We're constantly left in danger, while you and Hiccup go off to be the heroes- glory hogs."

Fishlegs glared at him, "They _are_ betrothed, Snotlout." He hissed under his breath, probably trying to do so Astrid didn't hear, yet she did regardless. She smiled softly, absently touching her shirt where the pendant rested beneath.

"So? I'm sick of all the gushiness- raise your hands if you're with me!"

No hands follow his to the air, to which Snotlout let out a sputter and stomped away, saying something about getting his battle armor.

"Oh brother." Astrid rolled her eyes, gaze landing on Stormfly's saddle. She went to the dragon, giving her a little rub on her snout in comfort. "Stormfly will be up in the sky with you guys, but once I give the signal-"

"Signal?" Tuffnut asked, tilting his head.

"I'll do a Nadder call." Astrid informed. "She'll come down to pick us up, and… depending on how everything goes… well, in short, we're playing a lot of this by ear. Which I'm not the biggest fan of, but we don't have enough time to give it a full think out…" Astrid whispered the last part under her breath, hoping the others didn't here. She flipped the saddle off of Stormfly's back, rubbing the dragon tenderly as she handed her another piece of fish to distract her from Chicken, who was strutting about as though she owned the place.

"So, when _are_ we doing this whole death trap?" Snotlout asked.

"Dusk." Astrid replied firmly. "More cover of night, it'll be harder for me to be seen, easier to move around. You guys will also have more cover then."

Fishlegs squeaked nervously, fingers tapping, "That's a long time, Astrid… you sure…"

"It's not what my heart wants." Astrid replied with a sigh, hands coming to a still against Stormfly's side. "But I know it's the most battle smart."

"But we have no idea what Krogan is like- he could be just another talk-about-being-enemies-over-a-good-game-and-a-cup-of-tea, or, he could be the treacherous kind who likes violence as a type of lip looser." Snotlout pointed out, and for a moment Astrid almost thought he was concerned about his cousin. She was quickly corrected, "I mean, I am not getting captured by this dude if that's the case- I like to know a bit more about my enemies before I'm their prisoner, you know?"

She glared at him, fists clenching. "I'm more worried about Hiccup right now, Snotlout, because you hold a good point. We don't know what Krogan's like, he could do literally anything- and we wouldn't see it coming. That's why we need to be prepared for whatever it is they throw at us."

"What about Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked quietly, eyes lowered and tone gentle.

Astrid bit her lip, feelings rising and emotions threatening to take over. She shook her head silently, sliding down to sit on the dirt ground.

"I can only pray that he's alright." She whispered, look up through her bangs at the others, who had the decency to look at least mildly concerned or grieved. "We have to keep this timed- I'll start sneaking in and trying to find the best way around the Edge late afternoon- and if I can I'll knock some Flier and use his suit as a disguise. The rest of you, be ready at the end of the tunnel for my signal- Nadder call."

"Aye, captain!" Tuffnut cheered quietly, slamming his head against Ruffnut's with a clang.

"Let's do it." Fishlegs said with an agreeing nod and smile, wrapping an arm around Meatlug. "Distraction and rescue mission, Hiccup here we come!"

…

Hiccup's consciousness was slow in returning, and to an extant, he wished it wouldn't.

This was the third time he was slowly being drawn from the black abyss, only to meet more pain that seemed to never end. Even in the darkness he could feel the sting and the blows, the pain dulled but always there. Never receding.

Never giving him a break.

The irony of that was sad, because Hiccup knew that at least five of his ribs were cracked or broken. Breathing was pure agony, every inhale and exhale drawing more pain then Hiccup could imagine. His head pounded with the rhythm of his heartbeat, his eyes stung from tears and his throat was raw from his screaming and cries of pain.

He wanted it to end. When would it end?

The water gushed over his head in a short wave of freezing water, causing his eyes to fly open and his mouth to open in raspy coughs, only causing his throat to hurt more. Every time he talked, every time he coughed, every time he moaned, it felt like sandpaper was being dragged across his throat, tearing at it…

"Now, will you tell me?" _why is his voice so calm?_

Krogan was calm, levelheaded, still in control. Hiccup had hoped that by now he'd broken, would have given up. Any other would've, but Krogan just kept ministration pain and torture, without impatience.

Hiccup feared that at this rate, he'd break before his enemy did.

"No." He rasped, his voice nothing but a croak. He licked his lips, the water still beaded there giving some moisture to his dry and sponge-like tongue. He let his head fall back weakly, waiting.

The knife again? Or the whip? Both had been used twice, and Hiccup was certain that not a spot on his body didn't have some wound or laceration. He ached and stung, his cloths in shreds and his hair crusted in clumps by dried blood.

"Are you…" the tip of a knife slid up Hiccup's arm, just barely touching his skin. The metal passed over open cuts and bruises, causing tingles of pain to race through Hiccup's nerves, chilling him as he whined pleadingly.

 _"...sure?"_

Before Hiccup's muddled brain could give a different answer- and answer he didn't want to give, he rasped something that resembled a _"no"_. The knife lowered, this time drawing a cut agonizingly slowly down his bicep. Hiccup had no strength left to scream, so merely groaned and tossed his head as he wished to move his arm away from the pain, yet the ropes held firm.

"Tell me." Krogan hissed, knife deepening as he said the words. Hiccup opened his mouth in a silent scream, praying for the blackness to consume him again.

"I… I ca-cahn't…" Hiccup heaved, leaning to the side as he emptied his stomach for the second time upon the floor, gagging and wheezing for air. "Thlooshfish…" Hiccup shook his head slightly. "He's… he's safe…"

He closed his eyes tightly when the knife left, allowing him to breathe without fear- for a moment. His head throbbed, his stomach twisted and turned as nausea took tight hold of his midsection. He had no doubt that a concussion was probable, all the signs were there.

"Fine." Krogan whispered lowly, the ropes around his arms shifting and loosening. Hiccup inhaled sharply, wondering if this meant the whip would be taken to his back again, or if he was finally going to be given rest.

 _"Custos!"_ Krogan barked. There was the sound of shuffling feet and murmuring, then the chains clinked as their weight disappeared from Hiccup's chest, causing him to gasp from the pain it caused. Arms grabbed his, jerking him from the chair as he stumbled to stand, but his legs were like jelly. The man was dragging him across the platform by his arm, until they exited. Hiccup blinked drearily, the sunlight stinging but the fresh air welcoming. The soft breeze chilled him, given to the sweat he was drenched in, but he didn't mind. The cool air was welcome none the less.

"Dungeon, sir?"

Hiccup sighed and dropped his head against his chest, focusing on breathing. It had suddenly become a chore, every breath needing special attention. His ribs expanded, pain shattered. He inhaled, the pain lessened ever so slightly, but it never disappeared.

He wished he could curl up into himself, to try and quench his stomach's flops and twists and to also lessen the pressure on his broken ribs. He couldn't wait to return to his cell…

But at least Toothless was safe. He was safe, and by now, he dearly hoped he'd reached the others. If not, there was no hope… but at this point, Hiccup almost wished death would take pity on him.

He must've fizzed out of consciousness, for one moment Hiccup was slouched outside Snotlout's hut, then the next he was being tossed onto the floor of his "cell". He sucked in a sharp breath, the pain surrounding him as the sounds and mumbles around him blurred into one.

"Thor… Toothless…" he breathed, wishing for some comfort from his friends. Tears gathered behind his eyelids as his thoughts turned to Astrid. He could almost feel her arms wrapped about him, her voice whispering soothingly... _gods_ , he missed her...

"Ast..." He murmured, but knew she wasn't there... instead he huddled into himself, even as the guard replaced the chain to his leg. The door slammed shut, leaving Hiccup alone as he whimpered against the pain and whispered words to his friends who weren't there. He just wanted comfort, some love... anything. He'd even take the twins, Hookfang- _anyone..._

"Hurry, please..." He whispered, hugging himself and trying to whisper himself into a restful sleep, but unconsciousness mercifully engulfed him.

 _ ***Cutos** means "guard" in Latin_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello peeps!**

 **Back again, and once more, thanks for all the sweet reviews! They truly make my day. *heart sign because won't let me simply type it***

 **Aww some old friends were in the reviews, so happy to see you guys again! I've missed you, so happy to hear everything's still bouncing fine. ^o^  
Sorry if this chapter is rushed… I've been in a mad haste all day. But I hope it's enjoyable and not too confusing to read. **

**Enough of my chatter, on to the chapter! Next one will be posted Monday. ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4.**

Astrid sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself as she ducked behind another tree, peering out from behind it at the men stationed near one of the rung ladders. She glanced to the sky, slowly counting and ticking the seconds away as the sun began to disappear behind the horizon. Half way now, not much longer till the others would fly up… wait for the signal…

"Okay…" Astrid whispered to herself, peering out again to take in the different positions of the guards, watching as some walked about, others laughing or joking as they ate food upon barrels. Most of the ones mulling about and taking it easy were ex-hunters, which made sense. Those duffuses…

The others were Fliers, and once again Astrid was reminded that these men were more trained, were _smarter_ , then the Dragon Hunters. She gnawed on her lip anxiously, fingers gripping her axe just a bit tighter.

It was only minutes before the sun was gone entirely, the sky lit hazily from the aftermath's of day. Astrid swallowed thickly, knowing it was time. So with a shake of her head, a silent promise, and a tightening hold on her axe, she opened her mouth and screeched loudly, the sound of a Nadder's cry.

"What in the name of-" one of the guards shouted, as several nearest to her jumped and swung around, arrows at the ready and crossbows loaded.

Astrid smiled, and just as the men filed into the trees was when she let herself known. She leaped out, swiping her axe and effectively knocking two men out with the flat of her blade, knocking another out from behind with a kick.

The remaining two squeaked and hastily lifted their bows to aim. Astrid lifted her axe and swung with all her might, the axe effectively slicing the crossbow in half as well as catching the man in the chest and arm, making him screech in pain and shock. The other was equally as surprised, for he stared in stunned silence at the man lying on the ground, blood pouring from his wounds.

Astrid took that time to run up and grip her axe, tugging it out of the ground and swiping it against the last of the men's head, knocking him unconscious instantly. He crumpled in a limp heap across his dead friend, leaving Astrid free.

"Okay- which one of you has a body shape closest to mine…" _Scrawny_. She needed a scrawny dude somewhere… she picked through the pile, finally finding one who was about Tuffnut's build- only a bit larger in the torso. She began peeling off his armor, instead sliding it over her arms and chest for an effective disguise. Finally, when the man was only left in his underclothes, she picked up a crossbow and her axe, strapping it onto her back just in case, while adjusting the crossbow in her arms.

She glanced up at the stables, knowing she'd go there first. If she guessed right, that's where they were keeping Hiccup- and if her luck was with her, Toothless as well.

"Dragon Riders!" Distant calls echoed, and soon, the entire Edge was alive. Men were rushing to the catapults and bola's on the roofs and lookouts, while others rushed about to their dragons.

Astrid ducked low and hastily crawled up one of the ladders, pulling herself up with a grunt. She adjusted her helmet, hoping her braid didn't show through as she pushed on, shoving through the onslaught of men running about. Thankfully, no one took much notice of her.

It wasn't until she was up to the top platform, the one that led to the stables as well as to all their huts that someone grabbed her arm, jerking her to a halt. The man was breathing heavily as he pointed towards the stables, gasping out orders.

"Get a dragon, you idiot. We need as many up in the sky as possible-"

She wondered briefly is she should dare and answer, but the man didn't wait for her to reply. He simply gave a sharp shove towards the stables, then ran off with a stream of shouted orders.

Well, her job just got easier. She'd been _ordered_ to the stables, not much anyone else could do to stop her. She had full passage.

She turned on her heel and dashed, now feeling able to go at full speed to her destination. She didn't bother to grab the ladders to climb up to the stables, instead simply giving a leap and swinging herself up onto the edge, scrambling to the doors.

She paused outside, turning to give a quick look over of the sky, biting hard on her lip when she noticed that they were already struggling, and the battle had only begun.

"Alright, Hiccup, you'd better be in here-" Astrid growled, shoving the doors open with a grunt. She ran inside, eyes scanning all the cells for any sign of Night Fury or Haddock, moaning in frustration when she found neither.

"Come on- Hiccup where are you…" She whispered worriedly, quickly looking through the stalls in case she'd missed him. It wasn't until the last that she paused and stared, gulping when she saw the chain and post. But it wasn't those that alarmed her, it was the prosthetic that lay on the floor that had her breath hitched and her alarm ringing.

She grabbed a rung of keys off the nail on the walls- those cruel heartless monsters, they even put locks on the stalls?

She hastily unlocked the door and swung it open, ducking inside and picking up the prosthetic. She gasped and nearly dropped it when she saw streaks of blood staining the wood and crusted on the metal, her head jerking up in shock.

"No, no… no no no no…" She whispered over and over, spinning around to exit the building. Hiccup wasn't there, but he _had_ been… and with new urgency she _needed to find him_.

 _He was hurt._

"Thor, when I find the men who did that to him." She hissed menacingly, tossing the crossbow aside and instead using her trusty axe as her weapon. She ran back out into the night, eyes flitting across the buildings in search of what she sought.

Her eyes landed on Snotlout's hut, and her eyes narrowed in anger. There, Krogan stood on the ledge, arms crossed and stance straight. If he wasn't so far away, Astrid would've flung her axe straight into his _way_ too smug face.

She was certain Hiccup was up there…somewhere, so without delay, she jumped and flung herself up onto the ledge, pulling herself up to run across. She easily blended in with the others around her, making her job easier and faster.

She fell in step behind one of the men heading in that general direction, hoping to seem less… despicable that way. But the man broke off and ended up entering her own hut, probably searching for weapons. Her proud weapons stash- most likely totally gone.

She fought the urge to rush inside and gut every man within.

Instead she ran behind the huts, walking carefully across the narrow boards lining them. No one was here, and she dearly hoped she was safe…

Snotlout's hut was in sight, but with it, came a deadly break in the wood. It looked as though something had either burnt or smashed it, causing there to be a gaping gap between her and Snotlout's hut's outer wall.

Astrid didn't hesitate. She swung her axe in place onto her back, and upon taking a deep breath, she jumped.

…

Hiccup woke to total darkness.

Momentarily, he just thought he'd been out so long it was now late evening, but before long, he realized with renewed panic that he was locked in some close quartered room the size of a small closet. He struggled weakly, and that's when the drowsiness wore off. Hiccup realized too late that moving was a bad idea, and, that he'd been most probably drugged.

His body screamed pain, and it took all his will power not to let that scream of agony reach his mouth. He moaned and rolled his head from side to side, trying to find some way or position to alleviate the pain. But scrunched up as he was, it put horrible pressure against his ribs, making it almost impossible to breathe. This, mounted with panic, had Hiccup hyperventilating hysterically. He wished to cry, he wanted to sob- the pain was enough to do that on its own, but just the longing for this all to end was nearly enough to send him over the edge.

"Please- Thor, someone…" Hiccup gasped and wheezed, his voice sounding non-human. "Toothless…"

He moved his legs, hoping to somehow find a way out of this trap. But with a shout and cry, he realized painfully that his prosthetic was gone, and in its place a heavy chain holding him in place.

But at least his right leg was free.

He bent and wiggled, gasping and panting for any air he could get. He began to pound his leg against the wall opposite of him, praying it was the one that opened, for if not, there was no way he could move around enough to be able to hit against any other wall.

He pounded three more times, but eventually his lightheadedness, lack of air, and nausea took full hold. Hiccup's brain fizzed, the adrenaline wearing off as he felt himself nodding back off. Whatever drug they'd given him its work was enough to disorient a person for a short time… and it left him with such a heavy headache he wondered if it would ever leave.

He gave one last weak pound of his leg against the wall, wearily falling back with desperate gasps for air, only to cause himself to heave and lean to the side, vomiting bile onto the floor. It was only a thick and gloppy stream, to which he guessed drowsily that it was merely because there was nothing left in his stomach to dispel.

Hiccup must've fallen back under, for he felt the sensation of awakening when the door was jerked open and he was grabbed by his arms, forced roughly out from the small space. The fresh air was such a joy to have he almost laughed, had he been able. Instead he gasped and inhaled as fast and short as he could, trying to ease the pain from his chest yet get the sufficient air he needed at the same time.

He was dragged outside, though he didn't really acknowledge anything happening around him. His head dangled and bumped against his chest, but he didn't care. He was hoping unconsciousness would save him again from the pain…

"Drop the attack, or I run him through!" Krogan's deep voice was blaring loud, _too loud!_ Hiccup moaned and screwed his eyes shut, waiting desperately for the ringing in his ears all the way to the core of his brain to come to a halt.

"You hurt him, Krogan, and you'll be in for a lot worse." Came a voice from somewhere above. Hiccup mumbled under his breath, the voice was so familiar, _so familiar._ Yet he couldn't place-

 _"LET HIM GO!"_ Came a way to familiar shriek, and even in his daze Hiccup instantly knew who it belonged to. His eyes flew open and his mouth gaped for words, but no sound would come. He did gather enough wit in this rush of adrenaline to try and jump away, falling with a loud thud and a cry to the wooden floor.

Hiccup's head bounced against the ground, making him wail in pain and thrash against it. He rolled onto his side, curling against himself as he tried to will the pain away, but nothing worked. His head felt like it could explode, and his vision was quickly fading in and out, his hearing strengthening then falling. It only rose the achiness in his brain.

He distantly heard Astrid's angry shouts, as well as a screech of a Nadder. Such a ruckus, screaming, shouting, blasts, fire, heat… _pain…_

His vision was fading, but he was aware enough to know Astrid was whispering words, calling for him to stay with her. It felt like seconds later that they were suddenly soaring through the air, the wind whipping about him and biting at his skin. But warm arms entrapped him, soft hand fell against his cheeks and face, pulling him nearer in a gentle embrace. With those thoughts he fell, and knew no more.

…

Astrid cranked the window open forcefully, using her axe blade to wedge it open enough to allow herself inside. She dropped silently to the ground, her feet padding softly as she made her way through the pitch black room. She paused when she heard a _thump_ \- followed by a softer _thump._ She turned and realized with panic that it was coming from the closet, her thoughts first turning to Hiccup. It must be him- it mus-

She had barely enough time to dive behind a barrel when the doors flew open, and inside marched Krogan himself. He grunted and pulled out keys, clicking them into the wooden door and swinging it open. A figure half flopped out, the jingling of chains disturbing and grating against Astrid's ears.

She had to bit into her lip to keep from attacking the man right then and there, but he was already moving towards the door. No time, she had to choose carefully-

She caught sight of the figure he was holding by the arms, inhaling sharply at the sight of Hiccup's blood soaked body and shredded clothes. He looked unconscious, but she couldn't tell… and with the darkness, it was hard to discern anything.

Krogan disappeared outside, and in that moment Astrid jumped to her feet and rushed to it, peering out behind the wall as she watched him walked to the edge of the platform, holding Hiccup close as he pulled out a clean cut and sharply curved sword, holding it close to Hiccup's chest.

"Not today…" Astrid hissed, jerking off her helmet and hastily pulling off the heavy and bulky armor. She turned back around, anger flaring when she saw Hiccup roll his head- he was conscious, thank Thor… but when he didn't even bother to struggle, she knew he was dangerously hurt. Even in the dimly lit world of outside, she could see the blood streaked and smeared across his face, as well as the fact that his chest was rising and falling rapidly in short breaths.

Krogan moved the sword closer, just as Astrid got her axe in her hands. With an angry shriek she jumped from behind the corner and ran, axe swinging to her side as she made ready to swipe the man in two.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she screamed, meaning every. single. darned. word. She never wanted to see that scum lay a _finger_ on _her Hiccup_ again, and so help her if he did...

Hiccup jumped to the side, landing on the ground with a loud cry of pain that momentarily distracted Astrid. Gods above, he sounded _horrible_ …

The falter in her movements was a bad choice, for Krogan easily clattered the axe from her hand, sending it flying right into Snotlout's hut, sticking it tight. She dodged to the side, screaming a fierce Nadder call in hopes that Stormfly would arrive soon…

A black blur was all to be seen as it rushed up with a loud ear-splitting scream that only a Night Fury could make. It drew back and blasted, sending Krogan flying over the edge of the platform, but by the sound of it, Astrid knew he escaped with ease.

The red Singetail zipped above them, spinning about high in the air to make a return fire. Astrid knew then- _it was time to go._

"Stormfly!" She shouted, stumbling as she rushed to Hiccup's side, rolling him over so she could see his face. She was shocked to no end to see him so wounded, so _broken_. He was moaning incoherently in agony, but she could tell he was unconscious.

"Hiccup, babe, stay with me, stay with me- we're getting you out of her, okay? Just hold on-" She looked up as Stormfly landed heavily beside her, and without a second thought Astrid scooped Hiccup up into her arms and climbed onto Stormfly's back, just as Toothless shot another blast towards the sky.

"Toothless!" Astrid shouted, pulling Stormfly to a stop. Toothless couldn't fly, and his rider was out of commission-

"Don't worry, Astrid, I've got this!" Snotlout called out above her. Astrid looked skywards, smiling in relief when Snotlout jumped, landing with an unagile splat upon the deck. Toothless released another round of blasts, forcing Krogan to back away and spin around again, giving Toothless just enough time to toss Snotlout on his back and leap for the sky, crying out in loud concern.

Stormfly flitted out of the arrows and other Fliers about them, the others gladly taking off after her. Astrid pulled Hiccup closer to her chest, listening to his raspy breathing as she looked behind her, the sight of several Fliers attempting to follow rousing her anger. She leaned forward even more, whispering soothingly as they made a wild dash for the fog just rising.

"Where to!?" Fishlegs called. "Berk or-"

"Berk!" Astrid shouted without hesitation. "Hiccup needs Gothi-" she looked back down, eyes stinging with tears at the sight of him. Blood was everywhere, he was pale and the red crusted in his hair and on his face was enough to want to make her gag. But she instead just pulled him closer, rocking gently back and forth in comfort.

"We're almost there, _almost there, babe…"_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all the wonderful feedback! I didn't expect all those reviews last chapter, and the surprise certainly was a pleasant one. Love ya peeps. :) *hugs for all***

 **Onward!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5.**

Astrid clung desperately to Hiccup's slim body, pressing him close to her chest where he'd be semi-protected from the wind. Snotlout had somehow managed- rather shakily and with an almost crash land into the ocean- to pry a coarse blanket out of Toothless's saddlebags, therefore giving Hiccup even more protection against the wind and stinging chill of night air.

He whimpered occasionally, but to Astrid's relief he didn't try to pull away from her. She dearly hoped he knew it was she holding him, and that was the reason for his clinginess, for he refused to release his hold on her, arms wrapped tight. She welcomed the close contact, pressing herself against him and trying to warm his body with hers.

"Are we near, yet?" She called out, looking up to peer through the darkness towards what she thought was Fishlegs and Meatlug. "It's been hours now…"

"Er- I'd say another two or three hours, give or take." Fishlegs hummed worriedly. "How is he?"

"Warm, yet shaking with chills. He has a fever…" Astrid bit her lip and glanced back down at Hiccup's pale face, almost glowing from the sliver of moonlight spreading down upon them. He was so pale… and his skin was scorching yet he couldn't seem to stop shivering. From pain or fever, she wasn't certain.

His face was scrunched up and his brow was wrinkled, hair limp and crusted dirtily from grime and blood. Astrid swallowed thickly, tearing one of her clenched hands from the edge of the saddle to run it through his once-so-soft locks, shuddering at the feel of a heavy gash that went deep into his hairline. She let her fingers trail along it, until the cut dipped lightly onto his face, right along his ear. There she also found where the arrow had sliced, his ear nothing but crusted tissue and blood. She jerked weakly, bending down to press her lips against his furrowed forehead. She hated to think of how many more wounds his body sported.

"Hang in there, babe… please, we're almost home." She whispered fearfully, hand feeling along the back of her saddle till they reached her saddlebags, where she pulled out a full canteen. She pulled lid off with her teeth, spitting it out into the ocean below without care as she tried to press the bottle to Hiccup's lips, yet he rolled his head away with a guttural moan, the sound tearing at her heart.

"Hiccup, please… you're dehydrated, you need fluids…" She murmured, tightening her legs around Stormfly as she released hold on the saddle all together, using one hand to hold Hiccup steady as she forced the water into his mouth, angling his head up so he'd swallow. Most the water dribbled out of his mouth and onto his ragged shirt- so much so Astrid doubted he'd swallowed any at all.

She sighed heavily, before bending down and ripping a thin piece of fabric from underneath her skirt, pouring water over the cloth and running it over Hiccup's forehead and wounds, trying to wash some of the blood away from his face. Finally she could see his lightly freckled skin clear, mouth pale and scratches painfully visible.

"How much longer?" She called again. Had the situation not been so dire, she would've laughed at her persistent questioning, reminding herself of a child anxious during travel.

"An hour..? Somewhere along those lines." Fishlegs called back. "If you were flying Toothless, you'd be there in moments."

Astrid swallowed, but knew that the task would be way too dangerous. She could hardly control Toothless's petals on her own, let alone while holding someone and trying to focus on keeping Hiccup from falling, as well as moving her feet in the correct patterns.

"Hurry, Stormfly!" Astrid urged, leaning forward to try and make it easier for the dragon. Stormfly dove then shot over the water, skimming it lightly in her haste.

After what seemed like years and _years_ of flying, the thin outline of Berk came into view from the thick fog. The light from the bit of moon lit there way as they flew as fast as possible towards the village, silence heavy and almost suffocating. No one- not even the twins- dared to speak.

They were coming upon the bay's statues, when Astrid turned to leave orders. It was hard… this was usually Hiccup's cue, and yet here she was. She sighed shakily, but hardened her gaze as she looked to the twins. "Tuff, Ruff, you two go get Stoick and tell him to get to Gothi's- pronto. Fishlegs, I need you to get some fresh cloths for Hiccup and maybe grab Gobber on your way, he'll need to translate. Snotlout, you and Toothless better come with me. Toothless will eat you whole if you don't follow anyways."

Snotlout nodded sharply, while the others said quiet agreements. It was so strange… with everyone being so _so quiet._ No arguing, no goofing around, no jokes…

Astrid didn't realize now how much the gang depended on Hiccup, and the fact that they were all hugely depressed and down because of it touched her heart. She'd have to make sure to tell Hiccup later…

Astrid twisted Stormfly towards the Cliffside, where Gothi's hut overhang. The others split, The twins and Fishlegs zipping towards the middle of the village with Snotlout following close behind Astrid, Toothless coming to fly alongside. The dragon crooned in concern, body shaking and head twisted. His eyes glowed like that of a cats, but they were filled with fear and worry.

Stormfly landed softly, yet the whole building shook from the weight. Astrid immediately began to wiggle her way out of the saddle, trying to get down as quickly as possible without disrupting or hurting Hiccup further.

Arms reached out to help her, Snotlout standing there with sincere concern in his expression. Astrid willingly handed him the wounded Hiccup, before she jumped down and rushed to the door, Toothless and Snotlout following.

She pounded her fist against the door, shouting and trying desperately to catch attention. "Gothi! Gothi! It's Astrid, Hiccup's badly hurt we need your help!" She lifted her leg to give the door a kick, just as the door swung open. She froze and stumbled, weakly scrambling her arms but fell none the less, leg knocking against the wooden door frame. She jumped back to her feet, following Snotlout as he carried Hiccup in, settling him carefully on a handcrafted cot in the back. Toothless bound urgently to Hiccup's other side, wrapping his tail at his feet and snuffling his riders face.

Gothi was clicking and hurrying about faster then Astrid thought possible for the old crickety woman. But she was scuttling about, one moment here and the next there. Soon there was a large pile of supplies sitting beside the cot, and Gothi's stick was set aside as she determinedly rolled up her sleeves, motioning for Astrid to step forward.

"What… what do you need me to..?" Astrid whispered, hands held out uncertainly. Gothi motioned towards Hiccup's shredded shirt, and Astrid pieced the rest together. "Undress him..?"

Gothi nodded firmly, and although the situation was extremely serious and need quick thinking on the turn of a coin, Astrid blushed scarlet.

"Gothi… don't you think Snotlout would be better…?"

"Do his shirt, I'll get the lower part." Snotlout said gruffly, moving to Hiccup's lower half. Astrid glanced away and instead focused on doing as Gothi told, grabbing a scissors and slicing away at the dirty fabric. It fell away from his chest, allowing her to pull it out from beneath him.

She inhaled shakily at the sight of his wounds, trying to look away but finding herself unable to. There was blood everywhere, cuts and bruises scatter across his chest in abundance, his chest rising and falling quickly and shakily. Astrid saw some misshapen lumps here and there across his chest, making her presume with a wince that he had some broken ribs, at the least cracked.

Gothi moved closer, fingers prodding and poking in ways that Astrid found near cruel. She bit into her lip, drawing blood as Gothi jabbed Hiccup sharply in the chest, causing the wounded boy to cry out and writhe in attempts to escape her hand.

Gothi looked to Astrid again, nodding towards his head. Astrid didn't hesitate, she instantly dove for the chair nearby, dragging it close to Hiccup's cot and moving so his head was before her. She scooted onto the cot, lifting his head and settling it gently into her lap as she resumed her previous comforts, raking her hands through his hair.

Toothless moaned, heavy head resting half on Astrid's knee, the other on Hiccup's pillow. His nose was snuffled against Hiccup's cheek, tongue coming out occasionally to give the boy a caring lick.

Astrid looked up but quickly looking away as her face heated up. Snotlout squeaked and grabbed a blanket, tossing it over Hiccup's legs and waist to keep the most of him from view. Once Astrid deemed it safe to look, she glanced up, blinking in horror as she watched Gothi run a wet cloth over Hiccup's torso, revealing the wounds hidden under the grime.

There was a heavy pound, and the whole hut quaked. Gothi shook her head with an annoyed snort, glaring at the door as it flew open, a handful of people pouring in.

"Oi, lass!" Gobber called out, hobbling in after the twins and Fishlegs. "We hurried as fast as we-…oh Odin…" The blacksmith's eyes widened and his hook dropped from the friendly wave, expression blanking.

Stoick hadn't faltered. He strode forward quickly, falling to his knees at Hiccup's bedside beside Astrid, his hand lifting to cup his son's pale face in shock.

Stoick looked up slowly, face void of expression. "Explain." He croaked, voice coming in a whisper.

Gothi clunked his head sharply before Astrid could reply, forcing him to turn his attention to the old woman. She dumped a jar of sand onto the ground, hurriedly scratching in it before stepping back, looking to Gobber for translation.

He peered at it, clearing his throat before speaking. "Sh…she says he needs a bath." He murmured, looking up. "And that she wants over half of you out, now. Too many people, too many germs."

"I suppose that means us." Fishlegs spoke up quietly, setting the pile of cloths he carried on the table. "Come on guys, we'll wait for news at the Hall."

The twins murmured short goodbyes as the followed, hunched over and whispering to each other, Chicken in Tuffnut's arms. Snotlout paused, looking to his uncle and Astrid before following.

"Lass, you might want to leave since we're… well…" Gobber coughed awkwardly.

Astrid blushed again, but nodded in understanding. She bent down to press a kiss to Hiccup's forehead again, murmuring soft reassurances when he groaned weakly.

"Let me back in when you're done?" She whispered, glancing to Stoick.

"Certainly, Astrid." His voice was low and cracked with each word, betraying his worry.

She stood shakily, quietly walking to the door as Toothless took her place. No one bothered to try and shoo the dragon out- no one dared, and no one wanted to. They knew how inseparable the two were, and _Astrid_ knew the bond was stronger at the moment, with the two having been separated for nearly two days.

She turned away, exiting the building.

The others had already left, but Stormfly had loyally stayed behind. She squawked excitedly upon seeing her, rushing forward to nuzzle against her side.

Astrid sighed and rubbed her hand over the dragon's head lovingly, moving to carefully climb up on to her back. "A lap around the island, girl..."

Stormfly leaped off and dove towards the water, feet barely touching and sending sprays of water splashing up into her face. Astrid smiled at the sting of cold, the sensation refreshing and mind clearing.

The clouds and fog had cleared by the time Astrid returned to Gothi's hut, upon where she paused to take in the clear and dimly lit night. She inhaled deeply, giving Stormfly's rump a little swat in command. She took off towards the village, where she'd get some well deserved food and rest.

Astrid rapped her knuckles against the door, waiting anxiously for a reply.

"Hold on!" Gobber called out, voice strained and grunting heard. Astrid heard a mumble, deep and rumbly, obviously belonging to Stoick.

"Oi, lass- apparently there's a key in the bucket hanging on the wall to your- gah, watch it-!" his voice was drowned out by a sharp cry and the sound of pottery shattering. Astrid jumped in panic, frantically looking through the few buckets and containers hanging along the wall. Finally her fingers found something carved of bone, and she didn't hesitate to jerk it out and thrust it into the hole in the door, where she scrabbled to turn it. She heard a clunk, the handle bar coming undone.

She shoved the door open, kicking it closed behind her as she rushed to the bedside where the others were now gathered. Stoick and Gobber were both leaning over Hiccup's chest, pinning him while he struggled to thrash. Gothi was leaning over his left leg, but Astrid trained her eyes away, the mere sight of Hiccup struggling and calling incoherently for them to stop enough to break her very soul.

Toothless was going absolutely bonkers, bouncing up and down and barking frantically. He kept trying to shove Gobber aside, effectively causing the blacksmith to huff in both exertion and frustration.

"Back away you scaly reptile!" Gobber called. "Astrid, could really use an extra hand- calm Hiccup's beast here would you?"

Astrid was already by there side, flinching at Hiccup's sharp whine, words slurred together as his head rolled from side to side. She wrapped her arms around Toothless's neck, restraining him as she tried to calm the poor dragon, murmuring repeatedly that things would be alright, and that they were only trying to help…

"Gobber- Thor almighty I don't how much longer…" Stoick huffed, voice strained. Astrid looked up and immediately noticed how the large man was covered in sweat, face pale and arms shaking.

Although Gothi and Hiccup's legs were out of sight, she must've done something, for Hiccup let out a loud stream of slurred words, back arching and breathing accelerating.

"Is there nothing we can do!?" Stoick roared, snapping his head around to glare at the old woman. "He's in pain, Gothi! You don't have any more herbs-"

"Stoick-" Gobber interrupted sharply. The chief fell silent, though he didn't look happy at all about the matter. Hiccup continued to mumble, although his voice was quiet and far too raspy to be understood. He sounded _so_ _weak_ , so _pained_ … Astrid buried her face against Toothless's hide, breathing heavily.

The dragon crooned and wrapped him self around both her and the bed, tail curling protectively around Hiccup's chest while his head rested near his head, Astrid half sitting on the chair and half clinging to Toothless. Both girl and dragon eventually fell silent, listening painfully as Gothi continued her job. Hiccup screamed coarsely, sending Toothless into a twitching fit as he whined in mourning.

" _Shush,_ Toothless he's gonna be okay. He's gonna be fine it's all going to…" Astrid huffed over and over, trying to reassure both herself and the distressed dragon. "Just hold on, babe, hold on…" she murmured to herself, the words meant for other ears.

The sounds settled, mumbling the only things heard. Astrid peeled herself away from Toothless, peering through swollen eyes at Hiccup's mop of auburn hair resting near her lap. He was still moving slowly and occasionally, but thank goodness he was no longer making the noises he had made before. Gobber was bent over the floor, apparently trying to translate Gothi's runes.

"Says here he's in wood- _egh!_ Good! _Good_ stable condition." Gobber snorted, smiling as he looked up, finally feeling able to let a joke slide through. "Stable wood, as a door, Stoick. He's gonna be fine- right old woman?"

Gothi clucked and clunked her staff on Gobber's head, yet a smirk touched her lips. She shook her head, rubbing her flat staff across the sand to wipe it clean, scratching something more against the wood. Astrid leaned further away from Toothless, trying to catch what she said.

"Infection is a risk…" Gobber murmured lowly, brows furrowed. "Infection? Where, Gothi?"

She moved to Hiccup's right arm, hand hovering over bandages. She then gestured to his left leg, hidden beneath a blanket.

"Leg and arm… why so?" Stoick whispered, to which Gothi scratched some more.

"Lacerations. She says here he also has two broken ribs, others cracked and bruised. His right lung is the only one working to full speed, his left struggling from the ribs." Gobber leaned closer, "Whip wounds on his shoulders, cuts along his arm, chest and stomach. Bruises to match." He grunted angrily, looking up to Astrid. "You have some explaining to do, lassie."

Stoick nodded, before slumping exhaustedly into a chair by the table, resting his head in his hand. "Not now." He shook his head, skighing heavily as he let his hand drop to the table. "We'll… get this sorted out when he wakes."

Gothi frowned, thunking her staff to catch Gobber's attention. She scrabbled some more, but Astrid beat her too it.

"He has a concussion, doesn't he?" She whispered softly. Gothi looked up, eyes softening as she nodded once.

"When… wh-when will he wake up..?"

Toothless lifted his head, body vibrating in worry, breath ruffling Hiccup's clean hair.

Gobber watched as Gothi finished writing, tapping her staff firmly as she stepped away. She moved to the back of the room, where she began mixing concoctions that Astrid didn't even try to understand. She looked to Gobber, waiting for an explanation.

"Concussed, for sure. But his eyes say slight, though the knock will have him… Odin, woman, do you have to use such long words?" Gobber complained, a spoon sailing through the air and narrowly missing his ear. " _Auch!_ Fine, I think that's… disoriented? Yah, the knock will have him disoriented."

Astrid frowned, looking to Stoick.

"We'll be here." He answered firmly, nodding as he looked softly to Hiccup's face, Astrid's gaze following. She moved to place his head back in her lap, careful not to disturb the stitches she saw in the gash, counting three that crisscrossed across the wound. It didn't look as bad once cleaned, and she remembered faintly how her mother had said something about head wounds bleeding heavily, even the smallest cut. Her hand fell down to his ear, noticing how that too, didn't look as severe as she'd first thought.

She rested her hand on his forehead, sighing in relief at the feeling of his skin, still warm but no longer scorching like dragon fire. She smiled and let her thumb rub over his skin, smoothing the creases of pain.

Hiccup sighed, mouth parting as he leaned against her.

"We'll be here…" Astrid repeated, Toothless scooting closer to confirm the words. He nudged his nose against Hiccup's cheek, crooning softly.

Astrid leaned against the warm dragon, sighing heavily as she continued to minister calming movements of her hand against Hiccup's face. Eventually, she was too tired, so grabbed his hand instead, holding it lightly in her own. She smiled softly, waiting, as the others did also.


	6. Chapter 6

**I've had several requests for a Toothless's POV, so here you are to all the people who requested it. Fluff fluff and some more fluff. :D** _ **(And I know you, Ani, enjoy some ol' Hicctooth, so here ya go! *grins cheekily*)**_

 **Let me know if you guys want a few more chapters. If not, next will be the last. ;)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6.**

Toothless stared desolately through half-lidded eyes at the pale shape of his friend lying against Astrid's lap. The girl had pulled off her armored skirt, in worry that the spikes would hurt Hiccup further. Now his head was cushioned lightly against her legginged legs, head tucked against her stomach. But his face was turned towards the dragon, expression lax and peaceful.

Toothless snuffled some more, direly wishing he'd wake up.

He moaned pitifully, readjusting himself from his rather uncomfortable position on the floor. With Hiccup propped up on a bed, it was hard to keep his head eye level with him, yet the rest of his long body from squashing him- or the bed.

Toothless sighed and stood up, giving himself a small shake as he looked about at the others in the room. The two-limbed man had left to stand for Stoick for a day, which Toothless normally would've been concerned about, but at this point, how could the day get much worse? Even a baby being named Fart couldn't make the day any worse then it already was.

The chief was slouched against the table, face down against his arms as his back rose and fell in very loud snores. Gothi had left long ago, when the sun had begun to rise, and Toothless could still here her scuffling outside on the deck, as well as other voices. The day had begun.

And by the sounds of things, people were curious as to what had happened. Toothless had heard more then a few unfamiliar voices outside, questioning the old woman for information, followed by loud clunks or thunks, indicating that they'd most likely have a small headache for the rest of the day.

Gothi had been considerate enough to lower all the shades, leaving the room dimly lit, so they could rest easy. There were three candles sporadically speckled about the room, giving some light. It was dim, but lit, yet not too bright.

Toothless sighed and turned around, shuffling over to the cot in the corner. He blinked thoughtfully, but shook his head and instead looked to the ceiling. There were large crisscrossed beams from one wall to the other, supporting the structure. His eyes twinkled in small joy at the sight, and instantly he bounded for the rafters, bouncing to a beam hanging directly over Hiccup's cot.

He settled down, head in paws as he stared down, still keeping his vigil. He wanted to be there the instant his little human woke up, he needed to make sure he was alright. He had yet to see Hiccup when he was awake… it had been far too long. _Far too long…_

He crooned worriedly, and even though his eyelids wished to droop closed, for he'd been awake for more then twenty-four hours, he refused to let himself do so. He instead kept his eyes trained on Hiccup's face, waiting for any signs of wakefulness.

 _Please, little Viking…_ Toothless warbled, and waited. Nothing became of it.

Toothless whined and flicked his tail, artificial tailfin opening with a small click. He stared at it fondly, before looking back to its creator.

He settled down more comfortably, back legs dangling on either side of the beam while his front ones cushioned his head. He blinked, eyes gazing over Hiccup's body huddled under the bulk of blankets. His hair was messy- as usual- but clean and soft. He should know, he'd only been sticking his nose in it for the last several hours. He smelt nice, like soap and water. So much better then the blood and pain he'd smelt of not so long ago.

 _Wake up soon, little Hiccup._ Toothless sighed, blinking again. He needed his buddy, he needed his friend. When would he wake?

…

Hiccup felt like he was being dunked under and under in black waves of an ocean, the water was unrealistically warm and… _soft._ It felt strange, being dragged along through the blackened ink-like substance… over and over up and down…

He blinked, realization crashing into him like a Gronkle to Iron. He moaned stiffly, trying to find any part of him that was able to move comfortably. Not one space, not one _inch_ , didn't hurt. He was both sore, groggy, dazed, and sharply bothered by his chest, arm, and leg.

The first thing he really took note of was that breathing _hurt_.

Second, he was cushioned against something soft and warm. For a joyful fleeting moment he thought it might be Toothless, but after several more seconds of returning senses, he realized whoever it was holding him against them wore clothing.

He tried to open his eyes, but his body wasn't cooperating.

His head began to throb, as did the rest of his body with each pulse of his heartbeat. It was annoying to say the least, but soon it began to grow painful. As much as he wished for his senses to return, now, he wished they'd disappear again. For with consciousness, came realism. And realism for him, was pain.

He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came from it was a low and raspy moan. Thor, he sounded horrible.

The floor shook, and shock and panic flew through Hiccup's brain. His eyes flew open and his breathing exhilarated, air rocking against him like waves against a ship. He rolled over sharply, trying to avoid whatever it was against him.

" _Glah_ \- Hiccup! Oh, Hiccup… babe,"

 _Astrid._

Hiccup stilled his movements then, curling further into himself as he realized with overwhelming relief that he was home. He was lying on a bed, with blankets and fresh cloths. He could feel the stiffness of clay around his left leg, as well as on some of his fingers. Broken bones, for certain. The tightness around his chest were bandages, and as he began to breathe semi-normally once more, he realized he was in Gothi's hut, no other place smelled so strongly of herbs.

Gentle hands trailed against his cheek and face, trying to turn him back to face her. He whimpered and buried his face deeper into the blankets, trying to remain calm. There was a familiar whine and warble, as a scaley nose pressed against his neck.

"B-bud…" Hiccup rasped weakly. "Ast-"

"I'm here- we're here, Hiccup… you're Dad is too but I don't think he's awake." Astrid whispered, hands running carefully through his hair. He felt… unbelievably clean. And of course, the first thought with that came the thought of- _"Oh please, dear Thor, please tell me Astrid didn't give me a bath."_

He gasped for air, lung screaming for relief. Hyperventalating was not helping…

"Calm down, Hiccup…. You're going to hurt yourself- please…" Astrid called quietly, hands once again trying to gently move him closer to her once more. "Please-"

He wanted to fight her, wanted to curl around himself and hide from the pain, hide from the mess he could feel his body was. His mind was jumbled- _was he truly safe?_

But Astrid was strong enough to force him to roll over when he _wasn't_ injured, so him laid up and convulsing with pain, and far too weak to even move lift his head, it was no trouble for her. She rolled him over easily and carefully, resettling his head against her lap, leaning over to hug him intensely against her.

Hiccup opened his eyes, but his vision was blurred. He blinked once more, the movement not helping any.

"You had me worried." Astrid whispered fiercely. "Don't… don't _ever_ do that again…"

"Didna… 'av choice…" Hiccup slurred, breath slowly returning to normal. His mind was rolling to a slow, making him relaxed and slowly feeling the gentle relief he could've- and should've- felt in the first place. His scrabbled mind was jumpy and tightly nerved, yet they were calming…

 _Thor, he was home._

He opened his eyes again, and this time he was able to make out through the blurs that Toothless was sitting before him, big green eyes wide and body shaking with joy. The dragon yipped excitedly, dashing a small circle before returning to Hiccup's bedside, giving his face a few tentative licks.

"H-hey… bud, you… you okay?" He swallowed thickly. His throat felt thick, stuffed with cotton. Raspy, and his voice sounded terrible.

"Hold on." Astrid's arms disappeared, as did her warmth. Hiccup couldn't help but whine with the loss, feeling panic slight his thinking.

Toothless bumped his nose against Hiccup's palm and the boy instantly relaxed. He found the strength to run his fingers up the dragon's nose and over his head, fingering his ear flaps fondly.

"They… didna hur' you, did 'ey, bud?"

Toothless huffed in return, expression unamused. He tousled Hiccup's hair with his breath, as though saying, _You're not one to talk_.

Hiccup flinched when Astrid touched his arm without warning, to which she instantly withdrew. He looked up at her in embarassement through his bangs, feeling beyond guilty for pushing her away.

"M'sorry…" he whispered, looking away, ashamed. "I… I dunno…"

"Here, I got you some water- you sound awful." Astrid's voice was light, though worried. Hiccup smiled at her and shuffled, trying to sit up.

"Hold up-" Astrid protested quickly, setting the cup aside before returning to help scooch the bed to the wall, where the head was pressed against it allowing her to stuff pillows behind his head. She carefully helped him sit up while she gave a short order to Toothless, who hurried off to do as bid.

Hiccup's hearing dimmed as soon as he was sitting in a slouched position, not even sitting upright yet and he was ready to pass out. He rested his head into the onslaught of pillows, closing his eyes as he tried to get his spinning vision under control.

"Are you… are you alright?"

Hiccup groaned in reply, unable to find the strength enough to speak.

"Hiccup..?" came a low voice from rather far away. Hiccup peaked through his eyelids, half afraid as to what his father would say.

 _Weak..._

"Hey… h-hi Dad…" Hiccup murmured drowsily, "Fancy… meetin' you 'ere?"

Stoick was by the bed in seconds, Toothless bounding along behind them, tongue lolling out of his smiling mouth and eyes sparkling as he glanced about, face filled with unabashed happiness. He jumped a few more times before leaping back up into the rafters, peering down at the three humans curiously.

"Odin- don't ever do that to me again." Stoick huffed, but any irritation or anger was covered by overwhelming relief and concern, a smile twitching his lips from beneath the beard. Hiccup exhaled in relief, wincing as it tugged on his chest.

"M… sorry…" Hiccup breathed regretfully. "Id was meant… ta be an easy in 'n out-"

"Hush." Astrid whispered sharply. "Don't talk like that, you idiot. Whatever it was meant to be, this is what happened, and…" she sighed heavily, picking up his hand in hers. "It was all that evil-" she paused to whisper mumbled words under her breath, Toothless's ears flicking in surprise at the sounds of profanity that only his sharp hearing could pick up on. Stoick chuckled slightly in amusement.

But Astrid's glare was hardened, anger apparent.

"Krogan is going to _die_ for this." She hissed, looking up. Hiccup's eyes were wide and his mouth was parted, while Stoick nodded in agreement.

"But we'll figure that- _everything_ , out later." He spoke calmly, large hand resting on Hiccup's shoulder gently, so as not to disrupt the lashed cuts resting there. None the less Hiccup flinched away, to which Stoick removed his hold and instead grabbed his bandaged hand. Hiccup smiled gratefully, gaze flicking up to look into his father's eyes.

"Right now, Hiccup needs time to heal."

Astrid flopped into a chair. "I agree- which means, dear betrothed of mine, that you'll be staying in that bed for a few days straight."

Hiccup blinked and didn't even bother to argue. A few days in bed sounded heavenly, no matter the mess the world was outside. He just wanted to curl up and sleep the hours away, hoping that when he woke up his wounds would stop bothering him.

Hiccup nodded, "Duly… duly noted, m'lady."

She quirked and eyebrow, giving a half smile, "You're really off your game, aren't you?"

He glared playfully, and lifted a hand to gesture weakly to himself. "Can… can ya really blame me..?"

She laughed and shook her head, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. Hiccup froze up, staring at her before flicking his eyes quickly to his smirking father. "Astrid…" Hiccup whispered weakly.

"I don't care." She whispered in reply, hand cupping his cheek lovingly.

Toothless warbled from the rafters, in what resembled dragon _aw_ ing.

Hiccup's eyes fluttered, "Useless… reptile…" He mumbled, but Toothless heard none the less, rumbling in laughter.

"I'll send Gothi in, son." Stoick stated, squeezing his hand. "I'm staying here all day, Gobber took over with Fishlegs' help-"

"Is tha' safe?"

Stoick paused, "Er- no, not really. I'm just hoping that Fishlegs will keep him on a leash."

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply, but ended up whining softly, sliding slowly down into a lying position. Astrid's grip tightened on his uninjured hand, worry flashing across her face.

"M'fine." Hiccup protested before she could voice concerns. "Jus… unexpectedly hurds…" He frowned at his inability to speak clearly.

"I'll get Gothi." Stoick stated quickly, giving Hiccup's hand a pat before hurrying to the door.

Toothless barked in alarm, eyes flashing and head swinging this way and that in worry.

"He's okay, Toothless- just tired." Astrid reassured with a quick look upwards towards the dragon. She glanced back to Hiccup, biting her lip. "You okay, babe?"

"Mm… a' well as I 'an be…" Hiccup slurred drowsily. "Leg hurds…"

"It hurts?"

He nodded silently, eyes closing. "Can I sleep?"

"I wish you wouldn't- not until Gothi comes back…" Hiccup felt her hand press against his forehead, wondering whatever for. But her cool hand felt good against his warm skin, and he sighed contentedly as he pressed against her.

Hiccup dazed off, drowsing as Gothi came in and checked his eyes and throat, for reasons unknown to him. He didn't give it much care, he just wanted to sleep… rest his aching scull…

"Hiccup..?"

He hummed in response, wondering if they'd let him rest now.

"You're concussed, so…" Stoick paused, and he sounds of wood against sand sounded. "Alright, you can sleep, Hiccup- but we'll wake you up in an hour or so."

Hiccup sighed in relief, letting himself relax and drift. Astrid kissed him again, while Toothless warbled from above him.

"We'll all be here when you wake up, Hiccup- the gang might drop by as well." Astrid reassured. "Get some rest now..."

With her comforting whispers, and the warm feeling of safety, he felt himself slip into restful sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

Astrid glanced up when a soft knock tapped against the door. With a quick glance back to the still sleeping Hiccup, she rose from her seat and set Gothi's book aside, trotting to the door to peak out and see who it was. If Gothi was letting them pass, it must be someone semi-close to Hiccup.

Tuffnut's face popped in the crack of the doorway, face filled with curiosity. "How's it going, Hoff?" He whispered lowly, eyes quickly glancing over the hut until they landed on Hiccup's huddled shape. "He's breathing!" He whispered loudly behind him.

"Well that's a relief." Snotlout's voice scoffed.

"Come in, guys, just… be quiet, okay?" Astrid whispered, opening the door entirely. Stoick looked up, giving the young teens a smile from his dazing place on the other cot.

"Yo… chief, you laid up too?" Ruff asked quietly.

"Day off, Ruff… I'm just waiting for Hiccup to wake up." Stoick explained, sitting up as he gestured slightly with his hand towards the bed against the opposite wall. Toothless crooned and warbled from the rafters, tail flicking down so they noticed him.

"How's he doing?" Fishlegs asked in concern, while the others grabbed chairs and pulled them to sit back to the walls, facing the middle of the room.

"He woke up a few hours ago." Astrid explained, resuming her seat by his bedside. "A lot of bruises and cuts, some broken bones and a concussion, but… Gothi says he should be alright."

"Should be?" Snotlout shook his head, "Not 'will be'?"

She glared, "Hiccup's strong, I know he'll make it. He was already cracking jokes- albeit tired ones- when he last woke up-"

" _And_ he was flirting with Astrid." Stoick chuckled, eyes twinkling. "He'll be alright, he just needs time."

Astrid flushed but nodded, biting her lip. "Though I wish he'd wake up without us having to practically drag him out of slumber. It has me worried…"

"Concussion's do tend to make a person sleepier then normal." Fishlegs pointed out. "It's natural."

"That's what Gothi said too." Astrid sighed, lifting a leg on her chair and wrapping her arms about it, chin resting on her knee. Her eyes fell upon Hiccup's messy hair, all to be seen from under the covers. "He scares me, Thor darn it."

"We know." The others chorused.

"Young love." Stoick teased. Astrid glared.

"I wish he'd wake up…" She sighed heavily, leaning back. "I want to hear his voice again."

Snotlout rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, slumping in his chair, "You're head over heals, Astrid. Love has made you a mushy mess."

She jumped to her feet and grabbed the nearest object- her book- holding it threateningly over her head. "What did you say, Snotlout?"

He blinked and cowered further against the chair, eyes wide and mouth twitching. "Ah- eh… me? Did I say something?"

Astrid dropped back into her chair, tossing the book aside. "I'm not mushy, just _caring,_ alright? Nothing wrong with that."

"Except you keep expressing this "love"," Snotlout cocked his fingers for emphasis, "when we're around. It's gross, ew." He made a face.

"I think it's sweet." Ruffnut squeaked.

"Enough talk." Stoick interrupted, face smiling and body shaking from silent laughter.

"No… _mm_ some more…" A tired voice mumbled. Astrid whirled around happily, staring in joy at Hiccup's drowsy and half-lidded eyes.

"Hiccup! You're awake-"

"Flirting again, pfft, for Thor's sake." Snotlout mumbled, shaking his head with a scowl.

"You, Snotman, are just jealous." Tuffnut jabbed him in the chest with his elbow. "But no fear, you can have Ruffnut."

"Ew!"

Ruffnut gagged and looked away, instead rushing to Astrid's side, peering over her shoulder.

"Hey sleepy bones, finally awake! Don't you look peppy and ready for the day."

Hiccup refocused his attention, blinking tiredly. "'Morning to you too, Ruff."

"Afternoon now." Ruffnut motioned towards the one open window. "See? Sun's right above us now- but don't worry! We had lunch." She patted her stomach. "No food like the food of home, am I right, Tuff?"

"Indeed, sister. Though, the roasted chicken was not to my delight."

Fishlegs stepped closer, smiling shyly. "How're you feeling, Hiccup?"

The boy blinked but remained still, as he had since awakening. Astrid knew he was in pain, just from that fact alone. "Uh… as fine as I can be."

Fishlegs nodded in sympathy, hands tapping awkwardly. "Everyone's wondering what happened, what do we say?"

"The truth… but… uh, water it down." Hiccup winced as he shifted, giving Astrid a hard look when she moved to help him. She respected his wish, setting back in understanding. She'd be acting the same had she been in the situation. She wouldn't want constant help and fretting.

"Water down? Like, tell them you were injured?"

"Basically yeah. Tell them I had a run in with the Dragon Fliers- did you tell them about the Fliers..?"

"No."

Hiccup closed his eyes, chest rising and falling heavily from exhaustion. "Mm... okay, then, explain the Fliers and the Edge, then tell them I had a run in with Krogan and was injured."

Fishlegs nodded in reply, returning to his seat.

"But worries aside- how do you feel, Hiccup?" Astrid asked sternly, taking his hand in hers. "Need anything?"

"...No…" He bit his lip and his face slowly turned red, alerting her something was… _off_. He was lying, the poor idiot never could do it well.

"Tell me, Hiccup. I know something's bothering you."

"It can wait." He rasped lowly.

"What is it, Hiccup?"

Hiccup looked away, shifting slightly. His face was as red as a tomato now, and everyone's attention was focused on him. Toothless quirked his head to the side, staring down at his rider in confusion.

"I'll wait." He replied stiffly.

"Lass…" Stoick coughed. "I think Hiccup might need some… time alone. Only with me, because he can't stand on his own."

Hiccup sighed and pulled the blankets over his face with his good arm, whining pathetically underneath. For a moment Astrid was worried he was in serious pain, but realized upon further notice that it was made in embarrassment more then anything.

"I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Astrid- I need a bucket." Hiccup coughed quietly. Snotlout, closest to the bed, burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh ho! Gods that's-"

"Get out! All of you! Hiccup's tired and needs rest, and you guys have some explaining to do to the village- and me. Wait out on the balcony so I can get the whole story, got it?" Stoick shooed them out, slamming the door shut behind them. "Nosy little- how do you two put up with them 24/7?" Stoick shook his head in exasperation.

"Not easy." Hiccup mumbled. "Can I just… die now?"

"Oh hush." Astrid swatted his arm, instantly regretting the decision when Hiccup gave a little hiss. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you- are you okay I'm so-"

"I'm fine, just tingles. Did you guys give me something?" Hiccup's head slowly popped back out from the blankets, eyes dreary and face strained. "I feel groggy and... sluggish."

"Yes, Gothi came in about an hour ago and forced something down your throat." Astrid glanced at the bowl on the table, the liquidy orange substance appearing odd, but not revolting either. At least, not until she smelt it. It made her back away quickly and avert her mind to something else, not wanting to know what was in the so called medicine. "It was some sort of painkiller."

Hiccup gave a lopsided smile, "Enough to get me to a bucket?"

Stoick laughed and stepped forward, resting a hand on Astrid's shoulder. "Wait outside for a moment, would you, Astrid?"

She nodded and scooted away obediently, giving Hiccup's hair a fond pat before trotting to the door, smiling happily in doing so.

Sure, the Edge was overtaken and possibly destroyed, the future was uncertain, and there were more dragon riders, but Hiccup was alive… and at the moment, no one and nothing could bring her down from her happy cloud.

She slipped outside, looking back to notice Snotlout and the twins playing Truth or Dare- a dangerous game when it involved the twins- as any game with the two tended to be. Currently Snotlout was attempting to hang off the deck with using only a finger, while Hookfang sat not far away, chuckling at his riders antics.

"Guys, don't kill Snotlout, would you?" Astrid asked, before pausing. "On second thought-"

"Shut up, Astrid!"

She smiled quietly, leaning against the wall as she waited. She heard mumbled voices from inside, then a small crash that had her alert instantly. Stoick yipped, and Toothless warbled in what sounded like laughter. She relaxed, smiling again in wonder.

She knocked on the door after about five minutes of watching Snotlout struggle, and eventually fall. Stoick swung the door open, motioining for her to enter.

Hiccup was lying down again, blankets piled higih and body entirely covered. She walked to her chair again as Stoick stepped out to talk to the others, bellowing for them to stop trying to get each other killed.

"Hey, babe. How're you doing?"

"Lemeawone." Hiccup slurred. His eyes peered over the edge of his blanket, eyes fluttering tiredly. "Hm, I'm so tired of _sleeping…_ "

Astrid smiled in understanding, "I get you. But it's what you need if you want to be back on your feet in time to help get rid of the Fliers…"

Hiccup shook his head, eyes troubled and face losing color. "I don't want you guys going near them." He whispered. "Please… you don't know-"

"Hiccup." Astrid lifted a hand to gently cup his jaw, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "We have to get the Edge back. We're not just going to let them take over and let them get away with it- they'll come for Berk next…"

"No, Astrid…" Hiccup whimpered, eyes pleading. " _You don't know_ …"

"I saw you." Astrid said fiercely. "I know what they did, I know what he did. I know what he _can_ do. Krogan's a monster, for sure, which gives us even more a reason to make sure he doesn't make it any further."

"I can't let you guys." Hiccup murmured. "Krogan's relentless, he'll do anything…"

"We won't give him the chance." Astrid hissed angrily. "I'll kill him myself."

Hiccup fell silent, eyes shut and mouth pressed into a thin line.

Astrid sighed and fingered his hair, rebraiding it before pressing a kiss against his forehead. "We'll be safe, and we won't go until we're sure you're healthy… and Hiccup, you don't have to come. You went through a traumatic experience-"

"You aren't going until I can go with you." Hiccup replied simply, eyes fluttering opening. "Please, if we do this, I'm helping."

"I understand…" Astrid bit her lip, nervous none the less. "But like your Dad said, we'll… figure that out later. Right now, don't focus on that. We're safe, Berk's safe, the dragons are safe… well, most of them. But for now, just rest, okay? Please, Hiccup?"

"I will." Hiccup burrowed futher into the mattress, sighing. "I'm sorry, again. I keep messing things up and…"

"No, no, Hiccup. It was Krogan- that scum- it wasn't you. You were just doing what you had to… at least, I believe so. Why did you burn down your hut?" Astrid asked in puzzlement.

"I had some things in there they couldn't get a hold of. It was for the best…" Hiccup simpered down. "And your hut, Ast. Thor, they were going through and I just- I'm sorry…"

"Not your doing. Besides, at least _my_ hut is still standing, which is more then you can say about yours." Astrid grabbed his hand again, slowly rubbing her own against his in a comforting gesture.

"But… you don't understand- they were going through your things, and laughing and making jokes and it was-" Hiccup closed his eyes and grit his teeth visibly. "it was so _darned maddening…_ "

Astrid laughed and leaned down to nuzzle her nose against his neck, crawling on the bed beside him so she could huddle close. Hiccup froze up and stiffened in shock, but after a few moments he relaxed, nuzzling her back.

"Thank you, babe." She whispered.

"For what?"

"For being protective." She pulled away, looking him in the eye. "No one has… has ever done that for me before. Probably because I haven't let them- I still don't… but when _you_ do it, it's not the same. It only makes me love you more."

His face flushed, as did Astrid's when she realized the words she'd said.

"Gods, I-I…"

"Nah…" Hiccup smiled slowly. "I… I love you too, Astrid."

She leaned forward, kissing him sweetly- but gently- on the lips. She wished to hug him, but feared to do so in case she hurt him further. She did wrap one arm around his waist in a half hug, deepening the kiss ever so slightly.

She pulled away and sighed, smiling when he rested his head against her chest, eyes closing. "Sleeping again?" She teased.

"I'm sorry… so tired…" he mumbled.

She softened, hands running through his hair. He moaned in pleasure, causing her to smile. "Go ahead, we'll be here when you wake up, alright?"

Toothless warbled from above, reminding them that hey, he was there too.

"And I know Toothless won't leave you for awhile." Astrid laughed.

"Thanks guys…"

"Sleep well, Hiccup."

* * *

 **Sorry guys for ending it here, but I believe it's gone long enough... 7 chapters is 4 over then I'd originally planned for this! Lol. xD But thanks for all the wonderful feedback, it means a lot to me. Once more, happy birthday to animalsarepeopletoo and thepurplewriter333! You guys rock, hope you each have good birthday's. :) Lots of love!**

 **See you guys next story, toodles!**

 **-Kat (FanWriter02)**


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